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Sunday, May 24, 2009

'Ad homimem' attacks are what trivialise the real issues. I am gladthat we at least agree that superstition, mumbo-jumbo, dogma andnon-reason etc are opposed to Brahmoism. But how many others here (socalled Brahmos), would agree with you or me ?

The current articles of faith for "True Brahmos" being very welldefined, you may clarify if you reject / disagree with any of them, asonly then can our debate proceed:-(source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmo_religion )

( Adherence to these articles are required only of Adi Brahmos or suchSadharan Brahmos who accept Adi-ism ie. Trust deed of Brahmo Sabha1830 as the source of their faith or Trust deed of Sadharan BrahmoSamaj 1880)

We may also consider that no matter how much we may disagree withothers and their irrational (to us) beliefs, Brahmoism does not permitus to disparage them / their beliefs publicly.

Finally, concerning the issues which nobody wishes to rake up, it isprecisely because nobody wishes to discuss them that they must beexposed publicly in dedicated groups such as this, and knowledgeablepeople like you must participate.

The messages you are trying to trivialize are very germane to Brahmoism :-

a)Brahmoism is all about logic, rationality & scientific mindedness .It denounces all social evils including Sati which is still veryoccasionally practiced & glorified by some Indians living in darkness.

b)Brahmoism is dead set against all forms of superstitions/mumbojumbo/black magic etc. which are as yet popular among a large segmentof our population .

c)Brahmoism is all about tolerance & open mindedness . Learning needsto be source agnostic . Dogmas & set beliefs have no place in ourreligion . Mere mention of Hitler generated needless fury on the othersite no too far back .

e)I can confidently say that a majority of us are not at all keen todebate schisms , splits & controversies of the Brahmo Samaj you are soenthusiastic about . Why rake up the past ?What's the big deal washing dirty linen in public ? Why is it beingdiscussed here ?Regards,Biswajit Dutta

Is Brahmoism about rationalism ?Is the Brahmo Samaj a NGO ?What is the purpose of such messages being collectively mailed to"Brahmos" by these groups ?Are messages on Hitler's supposed management genius relevant to "Brahmos" ?Is the suppression of sati and similar practices important in modernBrahmoism ?

Regretably no Brahmo is prepared to publicly debate such matters (orthe earlier 8 I had listed).

The Anusthanic Brahmo movement frowns upon seeking donations in thename of our religion. We base this upon the 1830 Trust Deed text whichforbids "oblations" and offerings to be collected within.

The Ananusthanics on the other hand are charlatans soliciting funds atevery stage. There can be no better example than this of "Pandit"Sitanath Tattwabhushan who in 1880 was one of the 8 Brahmos of Sylhet who issued the provlamation denouncing Keshab Sen and Navabidhan. (seeSivnath Sastri's History of the Brahmo Samaj"). Tattwabhushan (whosereal name was Sitanath Dutta) then tried to insert a pseudo-Brahmanism into the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj by publishing in 1921 his "Manual ofBrahmic prayer and devotions" which exhorts the Sadharan adherents atevery stage to "donate" to the Brahmo Samaj. Got married ? - donate, Recovered from illness ? - donate, Setting up a new Samaj ? - donate.

Although Tattwabhushan (Dutta) claimed to have compiled his devotionalmanual from 4 sources - 2 Hindu podhattis, the Adi Samaj AnusthanPaddati and the Navabidhan 'New Samhita', we find that such out and out commercial practices are only in the Navabidhan Samhita followedby one faction of Sadharan Samaj.

Dutta's manual was roundly denounced in 1921 when it was firstpublished and no sensible person would rely on it today except as an awkward anachronism.

All right thinking Brahmos should be careful of these Dutta's inBrahmoism, ie Sitanath (Tattwabhushan) Dutta, Narendra (Vivekanand)Dutta etc and their descendants who have always been counted amongst the enemies of True Brahmoism for trying to commercialise Brahmoisminto a Ramakrishna "Mission" model at every step.Rahul

On 3/31/09, sroy1947 wrote:> "Peddling" ??? This raises an interesting issue - "Does Brahmoism permit> donations to be collected within Samaj premises?">> "and that no sacrifice, offering or oblation of any kind or thing, shall > ever be permitted therein;">> Sarbajit>> --- In brahmoconferenceorg@yahoogroups.com, Rahul Dev Sharma> <rahul.dvsharma@...> wrote: >>>> Brahmoism is a religious system, Brahmo Samajes are societies which>> peddle a diluted (universally palatable) version of True Brahmoism.>> What is peddled at Brahmo Samajes is more often than not unacceptable >> to Brahmos.>>>> I think you are confusing nationalism with patriotism.>>>> On Sat, Mar 14, 2009 at 5:23 PM, biswajit dutta>> <bis_dutta2000@...> wrote:>> > It appears that you make an artificial distinction between Brahmo Samaj >> > &>> > Brahmoism . I am afraid your views may not resonate with the majority>> > for>> > whom :->> > a)Brahmo Samaj & Brahmoism are not at cross purposes . >> > b)The terms "universalism" & "nationalism" may not be mutually exclusive>> > .>> > That I have a tolerant/open/rational mind willing to imbibe global best >> > practices does not mean I am anti-national or less nationalistic . On>> > the>> > contrary , universalism can lead to improved nationalism .>> > c)By distillation of essence(accepting only what is suitable/relevant) >> > from>> > other religions Brahmoism has become a better religion . There is no>> > harm in>> > assimilating the good or the great from others .>> > d)Sivanath Sastri's interpretation of Brahmo history finds wide >> > acceptablity>> > with most Brahmos .>> > e)I don't know by what yardstick , Sadharan Samajis can be regarded to>> > be>> > the basest of Brahmos ? This appears to be too sweeping a statement . >> >>> > Biswajit Dutta>> >>> > --- On Sat, 14/3/09, Rahul Dev Sharma <rahul.dvsharma@...> wrote:>> >>>>>>